Derwent Park - Lutana
Statistical Area - sa2

Population growth drivers in Derwent Park - Lutana are strong compared to national averages based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Derwent Park - Lutana's population is around 4,668 as of Aug 2025. This reflects a decrease since the 2021 Census which reported a population of 4,709 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 4,637 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 37 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 948 persons per square kilometer. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration contributing approximately 66.7% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data, Tasmania State Government's Regional/LGA projections are adopted with adjustments made employing a method of weighted aggregation of population growth from LGA to SA2 levels. Considering projected demographic shifts, the area is expected to increase by 408 persons to 2041 based on the latest population numbers, with an increase of 8.0% in total over the 17 years.

The level of residential development activity in Derwent Park - Lutana is very low in comparison to the average area assessed nationally by AreaSearch

Derwent Park - Lutana has granted around 7 residential approvals per year. Development approval data is produced by the ABS on a financial year basis: 37 approvals from FY21 to FY25, and 1 so far in FY26. On average, 0.2 people have moved to the area for each dwelling built over these years. New supply meets or exceeds demand, providing ample buyer choice and capacity for population growth beyond forecasts.

Average construction value is $429,000. This financial year, $9.5 million in commercial approvals have been registered, indicating moderate commercial development. Compared to Greater Hobart, Derwent Park - Lutana records 65.0% lower building activity per person. Recent development consists entirely of detached dwellings, preserving the area's low density nature and attracting space-seeking buyers. The population is estimated at 912 people per dwelling approval.

Population forecasts indicate a gain of 372 residents by 2041. At current development rates, housing supply may struggle to match population growth, potentially increasing buyer competition and supporting price increases.

Derwent Park - Lutana has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 6thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch identified 19 projects that could affect this region. Key initiatives include MONA Expansion, Greater Hobart Urban Growth Boundary Extension, Northern Suburbs Transit Corridor (NSTC), and Royal Hobart Showgrounds Redevelopment (Wilkinsons Point Precinct). The following list details those most likely to be relevant.

Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.

Employment drivers in Derwent Park - Lutana are experiencing difficulties, placing it among the bottom 20% of areas assessed across Australia

Derwent Park - Lutana has a well-educated workforce with essential services sectors well represented. As of June 2025, the unemployment rate is 7.5%.

Employment stability has been relative over the past year. There are 2,293 residents in work while the unemployment rate is 3.4% higher than Greater Hobart's rate of 4.1%, indicating room for improvement. Workforce participation is broadly similar to Greater Hobart's 61.6%. Key industries of employment among residents are health care & social assistance, accommodation & food, and retail trade.

The area has a notable concentration in accommodation & food, with employment levels at 1.4 times the regional average. Conversely, professional & technical shows lower representation at 4.2% versus the regional average of 6.6%. There is one worker for every resident, as at the Census, suggesting the area functions as an employment hub hosting more jobs than residents and attracting workers from surrounding areas. During the year to June 2025, the labour force decreased by 1.6%, combined with employment decreasing by 0.5%, causing unemployment to fall by 1.1 percentage points. By comparison, Greater Hobart recorded employment decline of 1.5% and unemployment falling 0.2 percentage points. State-level data to Sep-25 shows TAS employment grew by 0.77% year-on-year adding 1,170 jobs with the state unemployment rate at 4.3%. This compares favourably to the national unemployment rate of 4.5%, with the state's employment growth outpacing the national average of 0.26%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 suggest national employment will expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Derwent Park - Lutana's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.4%% over five years and 13.4% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

Income figures position the area below 75% of locations analysed nationally by AreaSearch

AreaSearch's aggregation of latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year 2022 shows Derwent Park - Lutana had a median taxpayer income of $48,379 and an average income of $53,298. Both figures are below the national averages of $51,272 and $63,777 for Greater Hobart respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 11.94% since financial year 2022, current estimates as of March 2025 would be approximately $54,155 (median) and $59,662 (average). According to the 2021 Census figures, incomes in Derwent Park - Lutana fall between the 20th and 25th percentiles nationally for households, families, and individuals. Income distribution data shows 31.0% of the population (1,447 individuals) earn within the $1,500-$2,999 range, similar to regional levels where 32.2% occupy this income bracket. Housing affordability pressures are severe, with only 82.7% of income remaining after housing costs, ranking at the 20th percentile nationally.

Derwent Park - Lutana is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

Derwent Park - Lutana's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, had 88.4% houses and 11.6% other dwellings. This compares to Hobart metro's 83.1% houses and 17.0% other dwellings. Home ownership in Derwent Park - Lutana stood at 28.4%, with mortgaged dwellings at 30.5% and rented ones at 41.1%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,300, matching Hobart metro's average, while median weekly rent was $325 compared to Hobart metro's $320. Nationally, Derwent Park - Lutana's mortgage repayments were significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, with rents substantially below the national figure of $375.

Derwent Park - Lutana features high concentrations of group households and lone person households, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households account for 63.4% of all households, including 20.6% couples with children, 23.8% couples without children, and 17.1% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 36.6%, with lone person households at 31.2% and group households comprising 5.3% of the total. The median household size is 2.4 people, which aligns with the Greater Hobart average.

Derwent Park - Lutana faces educational challenges, with performance metrics placing it in the bottom quartile of areas assessed nationally

The area's university qualification rate is 29.4% among residents aged 15+, exceeding the SA3 area average of 23.3% and Tasmania's state average of 25.5%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 17.3%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (10.5%) and graduate diplomas (1.6%). Vocational credentials are also prominent, with 31.4% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications – advanced diplomas at 7.7% and certificates at 23.7%.

Educational participation is high, with 30.3% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.0% in primary education, 6.3% in secondary education, and 5.5% pursuing tertiary education. The area has three schools with a combined enrollment of 318 students. There are two primary schools and one K-12 school. Local school capacity is limited at 6.8 places per 100 residents compared to the regional average of 14.6, leading many families to travel to nearby areas for schooling.

Transport servicing is high compared to other areas nationally based on assessment of service frequency, route connectivity and accessibility

Derwent Park - Lutana has 61 active public transport stops operating within its boundaries. These stops are exclusively served by buses, with a total of 85 individual routes connecting them. The combined weekly passenger trips facilitated by these routes amount to 9,421.

Residential accessibility to public transport is rated excellent, with residents on average located just 122 meters from the nearest stop. Across all routes, service frequency averages 1,345 trips per day, equating to approximately 154 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Derwent Park - Lutana is lower than average with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across the board, though to a slightly higher degree among older age cohorts

Derwent Park - Lutana faces significant health challenges with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across all age groups, but to a slightly higher degree among older adults. Approximately 47% of the total population (~2,179 people) has private health cover, compared to the national average of 55.3%.

The most common medical conditions in the area are mental health issues and arthritis, affecting 11.7% and 8.9% of residents respectively. About 64.0% of residents report having no medical ailments, which is similar to the Greater Hobart average of 63.7%. The area has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over, with 17.7% (827 people) falling into this age category. Health outcomes among seniors require more attention due to the specific challenges they face.

Derwent Park - Lutana was found to be more culturally diverse than the vast majority of local markets in Australia, upon assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Derwent Park-Lutana was found to have a higher cultural diversity than most local markets, with 24.8% of its population born overseas and 21.3% speaking languages other than English at home. Christianity was the predominant religion in Derwent Park-Lutana, accounting for 34.1% of its population. Hinduism was notably overrepresented compared to Greater Hobart, comprising 7.0% versus 5.8%.

The top three ancestry groups were English (28.4%), Australian (27.3%), and Other (11.5%). There were notable differences in the representation of certain ethnic groups: Indian at 3.3% (versus regional 1.9%), Australian Aboriginal at 4.2% (versus 4.0%), and Polish at 0.8% (same as regionally).

Derwent Park - Lutana's population is younger than the national pattern

Derwent Park - Lutana's median age is 35, which is younger than Greater Hobart's figure of 39 and slightly below Australia's median age of 38. The 25-34 age group constitutes 21.8% of the population in Derwent Park - Lutana, higher than Greater Hobart's percentage but lower than the national average of 14.5%. The 15-24 cohort makes up 8.8% of the population, less prevalent compared to Greater Hobart. From 2021 to present, the 35-44 age group has increased from 13.6% to 16.4%, while the 25-34 cohort has risen from 20.8% to 21.8%. Conversely, the 15-24 group has decreased from 10.7% to 8.8%, and the 5-14 group has dropped from 11.7% to 9.8%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate significant shifts in Derwent Park - Lutana's age structure. The 45-54 group is expected to grow by 63%, reaching 733 people from the current figure of 450. Meanwhile, both the 65-74 and 25-34 age groups are projected to have reduced numbers.